Concrete structure



March 16 1926. 1,576,813

D. lcz. DAvlEs :r m.

CONCRETE s'rnuc'run Filed April 14. 1924 5 sheets-sheet 1 Match 16 1926.

D. c. DAvlEs -'|:r AL

CONCRETE STRUCTURE Filed 'April 14, 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Mmh 16 1926. 1,576,813

D. C. DAVIES El' Al..

CONCRETE STRUCTURE Filed April 14, 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 March 16 1926.

D. CyDAVIES El" AL ACONCRETE STRUCTURE Filed April 14, 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet 4.

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March 16 1926. 1,576,813

D. C. DAVIES ET AL concnma s'muc'runa Filed April 14, 1924 5 sheetssheet 5 Patented Mar. 16, 1926.

es PATENT OFFICE..

DANIEL CHARLES DAVJIES AND ARTHUR HAROLD THOMAS, OF MELBOURNE, VICTORIA,

` AUSTRALIA.

cONoRETR STRUCTURE.

Application iilcd Apri1'14, 192e. Serial No. 706,531.

To all Aw/lomy t vim-y conce/ai:

Be it known that DANUQL CHARLES Din/'nas and ARTHUR l-Linoiin THOMAS, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia, and residents of Melbourne, in the State of Victoria, Commonwealth of Australia, have invented certain new and usefulv Improvements in Concrete Structures, of which the following` is a specification.

This invention has reference to concrete structures and is particularly directed to the erection of structures from integers constructed apart from the selected site.

The invention refers to that class of concrete structure formed of a pluraliy of precast slabs suitably reinforced and adapted to be placed one on the other ,and abutting in order to obtain the desired length and height of structure.

Further, the invention allows of Obtaining great" heights in structures such in the case of a building of more than one story and further the walls of such high structures may be perfectly plumb from top to bottom which is not possible with the existing methods which consist essentially of b'uildi ing up forms generally of wood and il'lin in between them with concrete.

This latter method, however, results in a very rough exterior and interior which genorally requires covering vwith somematerial in order to render suoli a wall presentable, the cause of such unevenness being due tothe boards used in the form structure warping and twisting :through absorption of water used in the mixing of the agglomerate, and further it is submitted that wooden forms are unsatisfactory for the reason that by their use it is not possible to obtain a thorough settlement of the Iconcrete when poured between the forms vso constructed and further such a method is wasteful On account of the material used and unfit for further useowing to the condition'thereof after absorbing aquantity of moisture.' i

The basic principle underlying this' inven tion and especially ywhen bui'lding'inore than one story consists -i-n using pre-.cast slabs" as the forms for receivingv the agglomeratie which wheny set 'becomes part of" the"` 'y and. thus forms sect-ions ofthe wal'l'or o er 'building structure whieh when completed comprises inner and outer oppositely disposed pre-cast slabs with an agglomerate core, the slabs also acting as the forms at present employed in building structures the need for removing such forms being obviated in this invention' as the slabs become the inner and outer surface of the structure.

But in order that the invention be more readily understood reference will now be made to the vaccompanying drawings in which l Figure 1 is a plan view partly in section of a; pre-east slab constructed according to our invention.

Figure 2 is a side sectional elevation thereof.

Figure 3 is av sectional view on the line A. A. of VFigure 1.

Figure 4t is a sectional -view of a slab formed with a right-angled extension for use when forming extensions to a building or in formingintermediate walls.

'Figure 5 is an alternative construction of the member shown 'in Figure Ll.

Figure 6 is a sectional plan view of part of a wall and intermediate wall and showing the formation of abay in dotted lines. Figure 7 is a plan view of one course of slabs showing grouting ,and reinforcing` rods in positionj i F igure, 8 is a sectional plan view showing method of forming a curved corner.

' Figure y9 is a'vview of means for constructing a corner.

'Figure 10 isan alternative method of forming a borner.

'Figure 11-is a Afurther alternative method.

Figure 12 is a sectional plan view showing opposed slabs, spacing pieces and reinforcing means for use when erecting structures re'- 'quiri-ng great strength. V'Figurine '13 is' a'p'lan'seetional view showing method of forming circular `work as' in silos, chimneyv staels, water tanks, towers and the like.I

Figure '14 -is Vsectional .plan .View showing the .-use of' flat pre-cast slabs with angular faeesfor' Obtaining a hexagon, Octagon or rdodecagen as desired.'

isa siy 'tional plan View showing` the formation of a cavity in circular work.

Figure 16 is a part perspective view ol' a slab for use in structures requiring great strength.

Figure 1T is a perspective view showingV method of laying a floor.

Figure 18 is a sectional elevation showing method of' afiixing door jambs.

Figure 1) is a view showing method of atl'ixing panelling or lining dadoes to a wall constructed according to our invention.

Figure 2t) is a view showing method of erecting 'floors to luiildings of more than one story in height.

Figure 21 is a view shmving tion of intern'iediate walls.

Figure 22 is a view showing joint.

Figure f5 is a view showing a further modification of joint.

Figure 24 is a sec-tional view showing one form of foundation piece.

Figure 25 is a view showing an alternative construction of floor for buildings of more than one story;

Figure 26 is an elevation thereof, and

Figure 27 is a view showing the application of pre-cast slabs to a dome or tower.

The essential feature embodied in this invention consists in forming pre-cast slabs 5 of concrete or other material, such slabs being suitably reinforced by means of longitudinal and transverse rods or wires 6 7 which are suitably embedded in the material7 during` the manufacture of the slab.

Positioned in the mass a plurality of transverse bars 8 provided with holes or openings 9 to allow the concrete to percolate therethrough so as to securely bind said bars in the mass, whilst the ends 1t) of said bars are turned outwardly and formed with holes or openings 11 adapted to receive rods or bolt-s 12 for holding` two or more slabs as 5 together.

A. number of short bars 13 are positioned on the upper and lower portions of each slab, these bars being also provided with holes or openings 14 to allow of the concrete or other material to percolate therethrough and hold said bars rigidly in the mass when set. holes 15 being provided in the outturned ends 16 of said bars to receive bolts for holding upper and/or lower slabs together.

Disposed completely around the sides`r top and bottoni of each slab is a dove-tailed recess or rebate 1T, which is adapted when two slabs are abutting or one above the other to form a complete dove-tail spacell which is filled with cement orother grouting 'thus forming a positive lock between the slabs and also makes a weather-proof joint and to further strengthen the grouting, .reinforcing wiresor rods-arev positioned in the openings prior to filling in with said groutthe forniaa modified ing, and in order to ascertain when the recess or rebate 17 is filled with cement grouting, and when same has percolated throughout the entire length and system of recesses, grouting holes 17L are provided in each slab which would allow the grouting to rise therein when the recesses were filled.

Disposed around one surface or face of each slab is a rib 18 which is adapted to form a substantially wide face where two slabs abut and allowing of easy fitting of the slabs one to the other whilst the veil 19 of concrete may be substantially thinner in cross section than the ribs 1S as no strain is taken on the surface of the slabs either during the stages of manufacture or when erected.

The bars 8 and 13 are bent outwardly at the ends which pass into the ribs 18 described, the holes 11 and 15 in said bars being also through the rib 18 so that when pressure is applied to the bolts or other fastening devices the concrete or other rib 18 is prevented from breaking away as the strain is taken on the bars 8 and 13 which are provided for this purpose.

then it is desired to form a projection or internal or external corner7 slabs as illustrated in Figure et may be used which consist essentially of a T-shaped member with a rib 20 internally arranged, according to whether the ribs throughout the structure are internally arranged, whilst a right-angled extension 21 is formed on the inner surface or veil 22, bolt receiving bars 23 and 24; being disposed in the mass as has already been described, whilstdove-tailed recesses 25 and 2G are fofmed around the interior abutting surface of the member for the purposes herein set out.

In Figure 5 it will be noticed that the e2;- tension piece 27 joins or connects the slab 2S on the inside, such construction being used when it is desired to have the internal face of the slabs smooth and with bolting ribs 2f) externally arranged.

lVhen two or more slabs are abutting as shown in Figure 6, dove-tailed recesses 17 are together with reinforcing members 30 disposed therein and when the slabs are bolted together these recesses are filled up with cement or other grouting which is poured in thus forming a key between the slabs, whilst the reinforcing members 30 prevent such grouting from breaking up.

Renforcing rods 31 are also arranged along the horizontal face of the recess so that the grouting in all positions about and between the slabsis securely reinforced and ultimately becomes part of the slabs in which these recesses are formed.

...Figure 6 also shows the application of the extension or projection membershown in Figure 5 wherein such extensions or projections are lcarried out with the veil or web 33 of'conerete centrally disposed and with ribs lll) 3l each side thereof, dove-tailed recesses 35 being arranged on the abutting .edges and side of the slabs in the same manner -as the slabs for external purposes.

Circular corners `inay be formed by providing a member as 36, liigure 8, in which the smooth surface of the wall is internallyl arranged and the bolting ribs 38 externally arranged, recesses S9 being formed as already described between the labutting surface of the corner member 86 and the slabs arranged on each side and above and below.

Figure 9 shows a corner formed by the use of an angle piece a() which also allows of obtaining a smooth surface on the interior of the structure.

In Figure l0 it will be noticed that the corner member lll is the reverse to that shown in Figure S in wl'iiehease the smooth surface is on the interior of the structure whereas in Figure l() the corner piece /ll is formed with bolting ribs 42 internallyy arranged so that the exterior of the structure is a smooth surface with each corner wherever occurring having a pleasantly arranged finish but this of course would depend upon the taste of the builder.

Figure ll shows corner members which may be formed on the ends of ,slabs without the use of a separate integer as 36 or 4l and in this instance the interior face of the structure is smooth andthe bolting ribs externally arranged.

The essential characteristic of the invention consists in forming pre-cast slabs'as described, each slab being provided with longitudinal and t `ansverse reinforcing rods embedded in the mass and transverse bars S, the ends of which are formed to pass in to the ribs on one face ofthe slab and short bars adapted to receive the bolts or other fastening means for holding upper and lower slabs together.

The provision of the dove-tailed recesses about the whole peripheral length of each slab so that when two or Imore slabs are abutting and in line the dove-tailed recess of one slab meets the dove-tailed recess of the abutting slab which forms a completed dove-tailed recess or 'passage to receive grouting which is poured into said recess after the slabs have been bolted together.

l'oor and window openings may be provided by leaving out slabs at selected intervals, the bolts used for holding two or more slabs together being used for securing the frames of the windows or door openings in position in the structure.

Floors are provided for by placing a bearer 43 on the lower rib 44C of thc conimencing row of slabs 5 and if desired these slabs 5 may rest upon a member 45 formed similarly to the slabs but much narrower in width.

Floor iOStS 46 rest upon the bearer 43 which is bolted -to the ribs Al-'lby the bolts for holding said r-i-bs together.

rffhe description given refers mainly to the erection `of structures `of not more than one story in height, the i'iieans for erecting lniildings ,of more than one story being substantially as follows ln building structures of more than one story in height it is preferred to use slabs as illustrated in Figure lo wherein on the inner surface of tbe veil 5 longitudinal .and ,transverse ribs t7 are formed and it is preferred to space slabs so formed some dis- .,tanze apart as illustrated, such spacing heing nniintained by the use of distance pieces i8 consisting preferably of tubes through which stay rods i9 pass, the heads 50 of said stay rods being external and adapted to hold the slabs rigidlyr together.

Dove-tailed recesses 5l are used in this structure whilst reinforcing wires 323 are arranged inthe manner of loops, said reinforcing wires being' arranged in each slab so that when the slabs are oppositely x.. posed, said wires substantially overlap so that when rthe conc-rete is poured in the reinforcing wires hold such `fitting together and by the iilling passing in and about the dov-etailcd ribs e7 such filling becomes part of the slabs forming the inner and outer face of the completed structure.

l'n this ,construction we dispense with the use of wooden or vother forms for the building of the walls or other parts of a building, the. slabs which ultimately forni the inner .and outer face being used as the forms to receive the Vaggloine-rate, thus resulting in a smooth external and internal face and dispensing with the neces-sity of further treatnient once the .concrete iilling between the slabs is set, and further by erecting lofty structures by this method the walls, however high, will be Sperfectly plumb and free from undulations which is particularly noticeable with the present structures of this class which are erected by the use of wooden or metal forms which allow of irregular surfaces when the forms removed, resulting in the necessityr of facing up the whole surface with cement or plaster.

1Where floors occur in a building similar slabs as the wall slabs are used, and may be arranged as shown in'Figure .30 in which case the lower slab 5.5 at the required height; the ribs 56 being uppermost, whilst a slab 57 is disiosed above the slab 54. a. suitable space 58 being provided and maintained by spacing tubes 59, reinforcing rods 60 passing between the slabs oli-#57 and downwardly and upwardly to pass between the wall slabs and to further strengthen the floor slabs looped wires 61 are provided so that when the lilling is poured in between the wall slabs and door slabs the wires 6l and rods GO reinslab 5i is seated upon the wall e il O i i a isa Lil)

torce. the mass and convert the slabs and filling into one hon'iogeneous mass.

Figures and 26 show an alternative method ot construction for floors in which case the wall slabs 62 may be carried up to any desired height the slabs at the selected lloor height being termed as 63 with an arched opening 64 through which the end ot the floor slab is' adapted to pass, only one slab being used in this arrangement, and at'ter the slabs have been secured in position cement is then poured into the cavity 64 and aiter filling same the cement is then carried to the floor surface 65 which may be reintorced with rods or expanded metal prior to receiving the coating.

In forming circular work as illustrated in Figure lil the abutting tace ot the slabs is constructed to give the required angle, such angle being obtained according to the diameter oit the finished structure.

In the application ot the slabs for this purpose dovetailed recesses will also be pro- `vided as already described in regard to the slabs tor walling purposes and this method may be found advantageous when erecting chimney stacks, tanksI` towers, silos and like structures.

Figure let is a similar arrangement to thatvillustrated in Figure 13 with the exception that the slabs are formed with straight sides andslabs constructed according t0 this arrangement may be used tor a similar purpose to that described in Figure 13.

In some circular structures particularly tor the storing of grain it is preferred to 'torm a cavity between inner and outer walls owing to the combustible nature of some grain when under pressure and in this instance it is preferred to form a silo or simila r structure as shown in Figure l5 rwherein spacing tubes 4S form the means for maintaining the cavity throughout the whole height ot the structure, and it desired ventilating means may be provided in communication from the interior of the structure to the cavity at the bottom and from the cavity to the exterior wall at the top so that gases forming in the silo may be drawn into the cavity and allowed tree access to atmospherel at the top et the external wall.

Figure 22 shows an alternative joint between slabs in which the bars 66 pass externally of the slabs, the object being that when the grouting is poured in between the slabs, it completely envelopes the ends (5T of the bars.Y

Fig. 23 is a further alternative joint between the slabs wherein the ends are, formed with a taper 68, the bolt receiving rods passing beyond the tace off the slab in the same manner as shown in Figure 22 and in both these constructions the rib 1S is dispensed with.

Figure 24: shows a form ot ioot piece tor foundations, the upper flange 7() provided with a recess 70" tor receiving the iirst row ot slabs, which are bolted thereto in any suitable manner, a substantial web 71 being disposed between said flange 70 and a base 72 which may be either directly embedded in the earth or rest upon a concrete 'foundation disposed in an excavation as in the established practice ot construction.

Figure 27 shows the application of the slabs to a dome or tower in which case the slabs, at the uppermost portion, would be speciallyv formed so as to close in correctly at the apex ot the dome or tower, but we would still use the dove-tailed recesses as 1T adapted to receive grouting, and ribs 1S would also be formed on each slab for atlixing the slabs together.

It will be obvious that any form ot structure may be erected by the use ot slabs constructed according to this invention, the particular shape and configuration ot each slab depending upon the structure to be erected, moulds being provided to cast the slabs tor whatever purpose they are to be used for.

`What we claim as our invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is l. In improvei'nents in concrete structures means for holding two or more slabs together, said means consisting in forming ribs on one tace of each slab, embedding bars in the mass during the manufacture ot the slab, turning the ends ot each bar outwardly to enter said rib, forming holes in said bar and said rib and passing bolts or other holding devices therethrough.

2. Improvements in concrete structures characterized by the provision on each rib Atace ot a pre-cast slab, ot a dovctailed or other shaped recess or channel `tor the purposes specified.

Signed at lr' clhournc, Victoria, Australia. this 29th day ot February` 1921i. l

DANIEL CHARLES DAVIICS. ARTHUR HROLD 'l'llOil 

